Well, not quite yet, but for the past several years, I've been finding myself getting closer to saying goodbye to all this audiophile craziness.

It's funny to me how the same things that really used to excite me before absolutely bore me to tears now. Any cable (speaker/IC/power) costing over 1K for a meter or two, CDP's in the 5K-plus range, speakers priced at above 10K and on.

I've always known that that last 3-5% in audio quality is the most expensive part of this hobby, and I was willing participant in playing that game then. But now, my way of thinking about components has taken a dramatic change.

I guess I no longer value the value of spending crazy money (at least to me) chasing that latest and greatest improvement and all its supposed glory, only to then chase the next greatest thing.

I quit doing all those stupid AB'ing of cables, speakers, amps...yeah, you know the deal. Hours spent listening for the most minute improvement of cable A or B to match better with amp C or speaker D. I see that as such a waste of time now. I've become more of a "set it and forget it" type of person. I'm sure my speakers would sound better if I moved them an inch or two this way or that, but no longer feel the need to go through that effort.

My systems sound pretty good where they are, and I'm okay with that.

This is how far off the audiophile wagon I've fallen: I'm trying to decide between the Dunlavy SC-IV's and Bose 901's for my living room system. You read it right, Dunlavy's or Bose. Crazy, right?

But then, the living room's used primarily to watch TV or play with my son, and my main rig is in the largest (though quite small) bedroom. I've recently had to downsize from a house to an apartment, and that reduction in living space has caused me to seriously reconsider what I feel is important to me, including audio playback.

And don't get me started on my 7K or so vinyl collection, along with 5K or so CD collection that takes up an entire small bedroom to store, along with a couple of Ikea shelves (16 slot one plus 8 slot one) in the dining room. Those will definitely be reduced at some point.

I've reached a point in my life where I'm tired of the craziness of this hobby, and how deep I was into it. It's been mostly all-consuming most of my adult life and I feel it coming really close to having run its course.

Have any of you gone through a similar evolution, and if so, how did you come through on the other side?

Cheers.

Mamoru

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Be grateful! As for the Bose versus Dunlavy, both these systems were designed by brilliant men. One is considered high end, the other junk, but that may be because audiophiles are fickles. Actually, for a brief moment Bose 901s were cool with audiophiles. I'd say be thankful that you aren't wasting precious time engaged in obsessive compulsive behavior. i;m an audiophile too but (fortunately?) I'm way too poor to spend my days obsessing of $5000 cables. Enjoy your newfound freedom.

I occassionally think along similar lines but not because I am getting tired of the music or have lost the enjoyment of listening to a great sounding system. My issue is that a lot of gear sounds so good that the adventure of discovering new levels of quality sound reproduction is often absent.

Component "A" may be better than component "B", but it is rare that it is significantly better in all areas. However, there are certainly a lot of "flavors" out there that suit anyone's idea of perfection. This is very good for us consumers since when the upgrade bug bites, you might either simply ignore it, or go shopping with the knowledge that a fine replacement can be found for a similar investment.

I'll be selling my house soon, and like you I've begun to reassess just what the heck it is I'm doing in this "hobby". Most likely I'll be selling a good portion of my system in the next few months, but I doubt I'll be able to part with my source material.

What can we say, it's a journey! Relax, take it slow, and enjoy the ride.

Good luck in your upcoming move. I personally found this last move to be the most PIA ever, and I've moved tons a times. Granted, only the last two moves was without the military doing it for me, but still this very last one really, really sucked!

And I think the main reason for that is the fact I went from a 3BR house (appx 2K sq ft) to a 3BR apartment with 1100 or so sq ft and no garage. Man, that garage sure did come in handy. Never thought I'd miss it, but I certainly do.

I've got far too many pieces of equipment and source material and I'm pretty determined to get rid of some of it. I was hoping to be able sell "most" but realistically, it's going to be only "some" initially.

Every week or so, I back up the files on my MusicPC, my wife's PC and my personal PC. Everything fits on a 1.5 Terabyte USB drive which is about the size of a hardback book.

Those music files came from 2500-3000 CDs and a few LPs. Those CDs and LPs take up a lot of room. I'm continually rearranging them to fit my latest purchases into the cabinets we built for them.

Before you discard CDs and LPs, you might consider making music files from them. PC audio is more about learning some new things than about buying high priced audiophile gear. It might fit with your movement toward simplification.

Thanks for the suggestion of putting the music on PC. To that end, I've started looking for some large external hard drives to make that happen.

On the one hand, I think, "Why bother?" as I'm trying to cull down my collection. But then, I'm sure if I were to just get rid of them, be it to friends, sales, or the local GW, I'd regret it. I sort of miss the box full of CDs I sent to one of my brothers.

I saw your post on head-fi.org. I didn't agree with most of the advice you received and wrote you a private message. I'm not sure that the message was accepted by head-fi.org.

Ripping a lot of CDs is work. Do it right and you will never have to do it again. Before you plunge in to rip lost of CDs or buy anything expensive, i'd suggest a step-by-step process.

1. Learn a bit about computer audio. Right now you need to understand the concept of secure ripping. You also need to understand something about tagging your music files - how it is accomplished and why it matters to you.

2. Experiment with some software tools. I'd suggest looking at dBpoweramp, EAC and J. River Media Center for secure ripping. JRMC provides tag editing, library management and playback functions. If you go with dBpoweramp or EAC, you may need a separate tag editor to get tag values right.

3. Make some decisions, rip 30-100 CDs and get some experience with the ripping and tag editing process. The better your technique, the quicker and less tedious the ripping process will be.

You should also get used to using software to play your music files. Not everybody has the same needs; it is up to you to figure out your needs and pick the right choices.

Classical music and other genres where the composer and the performer are both important are the bulk of my music collection. I chose J.River because it lets me browse my collection the way I want to. Here are some screenshots of my JRMC setup:

Computer audio offers possibilities that you could not get with physical CDs or with LPs. You should understand why is possible before settling for simply reproducing the functionality of CD and LP playback.

4. Apply what you have learned and make final choices for tools. Now you can plunge in ripping your CD collection.

It is better to avoid buying anything expensive until you have a better understanding of what you really need. I'd avoid buying a lot of hard drives right now. In particular, don't buy a raid setup unless you fully understand what it does and what it does do. It won't provide backup and recovery against most problems.

Thanks, Bill, for all the information. I didn't see anything over at head-fi. Did you happen to pm?

I feel like such a novice in the "computer audio" arena. I think I'll take your advice and do a bit of searching, reading, and learning (along with some question-asking) before I initiate the first step.

I smoked in my early 20's and managed to quit. The started up in the middle 30's again. The only way I managed to quit was to add up the cost of a pack a day for the rest of my life. I found out i could buy a new Corvette just with cigarette mony I saved. (and that was at a price per pack way below what it is now) So I concentrated on thinking about the waste of money, and that I had to just not smoke ONE cigarette, the first one. That to me is the problem, I could always excuse myself for well, it is only one...'No more!! My secret wish is that all those folks who toss butts into the street, or at parking lots in piles get them all stuck back on thier bodies like crazy glued forever.

I get into periods where I cannot just stop listening to the stuff. But with a bit of realization that listening to the stuff is not doing me any good, kind of helps me to stop and just listen (and enjoy) music. Sometimes in other folks posts I can see they are always listening to the equipment no matter what. i feel sorry for them. All that effort and they can never relax and actually just enjoy it all.

must have that new super duper recording of the Eroica to put next to the other 15 on the shelf though, I can't help myself with that behavior, but it is a lot cheaper than chasing after the perfect interconnect or speaker cable...

“Well, not quite yet, but for the past several years, I've been finding myself getting closer to saying goodbye to all this audiophile craziness.”

Craziness is subjective...... A lot of people think I'm crazy...... But I don't care.........

“It's funny to me how the same things that really used to excite me before absolutely bore me to tears now. Any cable (speaker/IC/power) costing over 1K for a meter or two, CDP's in the 5K-plus range, speakers priced at above 10K and on.”

It hasn’t excited me in recent time either, after finding out most of it is overpriced and overrated......

But that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying audio. In fact, I think I enjoy audio as much now since prior to the digital age......

“I've always known that that last 3-5% in audio quality is the most expensive part of this hobby,”

Totally disagree........ Totally disagree..... I found out the contrary the hard way....... In retrospect, I regret the money I’ve blown prior to the revelation.

“and I was willing participant in playing that game then. But now, my way of thinking about components has taken a dramatic change.”

I've never really seen it as "participating in a game"..........

“I guess I no longer value the value of spending crazy money (at least to me) chasing that latest and greatest improvement and all its supposed glory, only to then chase the next greatest thing.”

As I’ve found out roughly five years ago, what’s touted as the “latest and greatest” wasn’t the case at all...... One should, however, listen to enough of other audiophiles’ systems (and even more importantly, lots of live music) in order to stumble across prospective components that don’t break the bank.

“I quit doing all those stupid AB'ing of cables, speakers, amps...yeah, you know the deal. Hours spent listening for the most minute improvement of cable A or B to match better with amp C or speaker D. I see that as such a waste of time now.”

IMO, this is a fruitless way to evaluate audio components...... The most effective way IMO is to try living with the setup for several days, and then you’ll realize whether or not the system took a step forward. Quick listening IMO was never an effective method of evaluation.

“I've become more of a ‘set it and forget it’ type of person. I'm sure my speakers would sound better if I moved them an inch or two this way or that, but no longer feel the need to go through that effort.”

With “placebo effect” often coming into play, such activity IMO can be both frivolous and maddening......

“My systems sound pretty good where they are, and I'm okay with that.”

I'm OK with that too...... [-;

“This is how far off the audiophile wagon I've fallen: I'm trying to decide between the Dunlavy SC-IV's and Bose 901's for my living room system. You read it right, Dunlavy's or Bose. Crazy, right?”

I can hear the groans from here.......

I was never a fan of Dunlavy speakers, only because I thought I could hear the individual drivers, in spite of a design that suggests the contrary should occur.......

A lot of people will scream at you for trying Bose, but I’m not one of them.

And if one listens to primarily recent pop music, I'm sure he’d likely prefer the Bose over high-end products.

“But then, the living room's used primarily to watch TV or play with my son, and my main rig is in the largest (though quite small) bedroom. I've recently had to downsize from a house to an apartment, and that reduction in living space has caused me to seriously reconsider what I feel is important to me, including audio playback.”

If you have neighbors sharing common walls in your apartment complex, Bose 901s (or any speakers that project sound into the walls) might not be a good idea.........

“And don't get me started on my 7K or so vinyl collection, along with 5K or so CD collection that takes up an entire small bedroom to store, along with a couple of Ikea shelves (16 slot one plus 8 slot one) in the dining room. Those will definitely be reduced at some point.

“I've reached a point in my life where I'm tired of the craziness of this hobby, and how deep I was into it. It's been mostly all-consuming most of my adult life and I feel it coming really close to having run its course.

“Have any of you gone through a similar evolution, and if so, how did you come through on the other side?”

Yes...... It’s called finding local designers and seeking absolute performing products (to my own ears) that are relatively inexpensive. From Volex power cords to OneAC power conditioners to Don Allen electronics to DIY and locally-built high-efficiency speakers. The big key IMO is whenever you hear a component or system that you think really sounds good, and is not necessarily expensive, try to find out aspects of that system that makes sound the way it does, and try to incorporate it into your own system. But as I’ve stated earlier, you would need to have a lot of friends and contacts, so you can get a better idea what works and what doesn’t. (No two people like the exact same sonic presentation.)

We all want to enjoy the music to its utmost degree..... We just need to realize there are ways to do it besides throwing money at it. And once you figure out these methods, it will set you free.

To me, the interesting thing is that there's so little correlation between price and fidelity. Some, yes, but in a world of $59,000 cables and $75 fuses (great way of protecting your ears, you'll be scared to listen to anything at more than a whisper), snake oil has crowded out the price/performance curve.

...I lost my passion for audio equipment about 10 years ago, but I still have a passion for music.

I discovered high end audio and the "underground" review journals in the late 1970s and dove in.

In the early 1980s I moved, met some local audiophiles and we started an audio society that grew to 300 members. I used to help plan the meetings and write a newsletter every month.

Then I reviewed equipment for a magazine for 15 years and finally decided I had listened to enough equipment and wanted to just be able to relax and listen to music for a change.

I was pretty happy with the way my system was sounding and I haven't changed it since then.

The other thing that happened was the iPod my wife and daughter gave me for my birthday some years ago.

I've been loading all of my favorite music from CDs to iTunes (in Lossless) on my computer and hook up the iPod to the dock on my family room surround system to use as background music when we cook, eat, hang out by the pool outside or when I read.

I still spend a few hours a week in front of my big system listening to CDs, mostly new stuff I've discovered or people have loaned me.

Every now and then a couple of buddies come over and we have rock and roll night taking turns picking songs to play, and drinking some good wine.

I still enjoy the crazziness of the hobby here on AA, but don't practice it at home any more.

Hang in there and get the Dunlavys - you have too big a music collection to compromise on less.

After nearly 40 yrs in this hobby I'm with you. I think maybe as we get older priorities change, maybe time gets more precious. Whatever the reason this was the first year my system stayed the same and I've spent more time just enjoying music instead of listening for ........ who knows what. VPI Scout/Lavry DA-10/Audio Research SP-16/Audio Research 100.2/ET-LFT-8B.

Of the many thousands of recordings I have, clearly there's a favorite hundred or so that I constantly go back to. Sometimes, I'll think to myself, "Why waste the time listening to something new (which I might only like a bit) over one of my favorite record/CDs."

Pathetic, I know, but sometimes I think that way. It's kind of like, if I've only got so much time, why waste it.

That is how it always seems to work for me. Eventually I burn out on it. Ancient coins, cameras, and old photographs each consumed my life at one point. And eventually I got sick of it and moved on to something else. I went down the same path you have (though not quite, as my pockets aren't as deep) and was starting to completely burn out on this hobby like so many others having spent a small fortune on equipment. But the music is what would bring me back, an no other hobby I was involved in quite worked like that. I think now I have struck the proper balance. I enjoy it, but it doesn't consume me as much as it did. But the truth is, if you are so sick of it that the music doesn't even move you anymore, who cares? Find something that does. And try not to go overboard next time, just enjoy it. I have a feeling if you give it a rest eventually what you love about this hobby will pull you back but the next go round you will be wiser and you will have a more balanced approach. At least that is what I hope for myself so I project it on to you!

You have gotten past the hype and now you are ready to live. The thing is, you have to try many things out before you can be sure about what is wasteful and what is not, especially when you read some of the outrageous claims made about non-essentials: "The difference was not subtle!". This hobby is often about subtleties which can seem like major improvements when you are excited and anxious to justify your purchases. It may take a few years of wrangling around, but I think most of us eventually settle down and admit there is a difference between "subtle" and "substantial". The downturn in the economy has actually helped many of us, I believe.

I sold my ARC amp, preamp, CD, Aerial 10Ts, VPI table and vowed never to spend over $1K on a system again. That was three years ago and I haven't enjoyed listening to music this much in years. Its as exciting as it was 35 years ago when I got my first rig.

Its just stuff, you can always buy it all back.

And no, you are not crazy. My first speaker after the Aerials were Large Advents. They were a ton of fun.

Best of luck to you.

Dean.

reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.

Dean, hope you don't mind that I took the liberty, as we've never met face to face! ___ "If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."

Funny you mention the Large Advents. They, too, are in my living room in the corners. One holds DVDs at the moment, and the other just sits there, taking up space.

I got the largest apartment I could find, with the intention of using the SC-IV's in the large bedroom where I'd have my good system set up and have a vintage system in the living room. To that end, I'd recently purchased a Sansui 9090DB and the Large Advents. I was going to alternate between them and the 901's for that room.

But as I brought my stuff in, the apartment kept getting smaller and smaller. I'd hate to think I'll bad things would have been if I'd chosen to move into a smaller place thinking I'd be able to make it work.

Funny how times change. There was a time when I would have killed to have owned that combination but it was far, far too expensive. Heck, I paid a lot less for my first car (in 1976) than a 9090DB cost back then!

Now, through the magic of time, the stuff is affordable and I can live out all of my audio dreams ...one at a time ...on the cheap.

I always wanted a pair of JBL L166s. I have many fond memories of them from back in the day. I finally got a pair a few months ago. I enjoyed them for a bit and then passed them along to the next guy.

I'm having a blast.

Good luck getting it all sorted out. I hope you find the space!

Dean.

reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.

Wow, I never realized the 9090DB cost so much back in the day. But it certainly is a rather nice receiver.

I was an audio hoarder until a year or two ago, then I finally decided to start selling off some of my gear and was somewhat surprised to find that I didn't really miss much of what I'd sold. Before that, whenever I had to sell a piece of equipment, it was like losing the love of my life.

Silly, really. It was only a piece of audio equipment, but I missed it and recalled it fondly whenever I came across an old photograph used to list the item for sale, or used as inventory during my many moves.

Minor OCD with emphasis on audio is what I consider us, Audiophiles to suffer. When there is nothing major going on in our lives, we have time to obsess over every little detail in our audio system to get an extra 1% of music detail. When we have important events going on we become sensible, and if you are lucky, able to prioritize what's important.

Don't worry, once you settle down you'll be back right here asking which cable riser will tighten up the bass and improve imaging. Enjoy it! }:-)

I got into this crazy hobby over 40 years ago because I wanted to "better" enjoy my growing music collection. At some point the tail began wagging the dog. Now I realize I spent more time reading (on line and print) ABOUT audio than listening TO music. The equipment hobby can certainly be fun but one should realize it if it becomes the dominant activity.

I elected not to attend the CES the past couple of years (I've been at least 15 times) and 18 months ago I began downsizing and refocusing my system to get back into simply enjoying the music. I now find comparative component listening to be tedious and no longer fun. All this has been a rather slow change after so many years of attempting to earn my Audiophile Merit Badges but I think I'm getting there.

No shame in that AudioDwebe.

PS - I will admit having owned Bose 901s (35 years ago) and Duntech Princess (older sibling to the DAL SC-IV) that I am amazed they could be candidates in the same system!

"Great googlie-mooglie . . . is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?"

I too have spent far too many years reading about audio as I listened only as background music. Don't recall too many sessions of concentrated listening, with eyes closed and having nothing else on my mind except what was happening right in front of me.

There's no comparison between the IV's and 901's sonically, but for what that living room system is used for, which is mainly background music and playing movies/shows through, the 901's would all me more "living" space than the rather large SC-IV's.

The pursuit of audio nirvana, forever. I derived that moniker to make a point that listening to music will be a lifelong event and I will do whatever it takes to make me happy and enjoy listening to music until I can't hear anymore. I hope I am not feeding any trolls with my response.

You can have very good sound for not a lot of money, you just can't have a lot of it.

Someone said that. Who was it? Oh, yes, me.

We have been living in an era of wretched excess, with outrageous income disparities and rampant greed. It's worldwide and far worse in some places (like Russia) than here. I believe the sainted (someday) Pope Benedict has had a few words to say about this matter.

It's reflected in overbuilt, overpriced, and overhyped hi-fi gear, among many other consumer gadgets and gewgaws. We don't consume them; they consume us. I am convinced that my late friends Lars and Dr. Gizmo went to early graves because of excessive and obsessive involvement with hi-fi; in precisely the same way: each stepped off a plane and croaked from a coronary.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "The victor belongs to the spoils."

But you don't have to go along with it: the hyperconsumption, that is. You will be happier if you don't. Healthier, too, probably.

I come here to get a break from work but audio was and is still one of my hobbies if not passions but I got out of the upgrade parade when I realized I just could not afford it anymore. I get a bigger kick out of finding giant killers, best bang for buck components and great sounding discs.

After a recent divorce I am now in a townhouse and my system is in a small bedroom. I over the last few years had downsized a rather expensive system to a far less expensive system. But recently bought two components at reasonable prices on audiogon because all reviews spoke about how these components simply played music. They are a Shindo preamp and ASL Hurricanes. I am now back to just listening to my system for musical pleasure and nothing else. The Shindo is the main cause of this. I had sold 4000 records after my divorce and now regret it, so hang on to what you have. Someday you will come full circle and enjoy once again. Alan

"I had sold 4000 records after my divorce and now regret it, so hang on to what you have."

That's what I'm sort of afraid of, as I've got tons of great stuff. I used to recruit (US Army) in Los Angeles in the late 90's/early 00's and bought tons of great vinyl while there. I've continued with vinyl buying, but not nearly on the volume as then.

I've got so much of what I want, as a matter of fact, that for the past few years, I've come across very little that I haven't seen before. At least of the type of music I generally listen to.

It could be age appropriate that you're simply satisfied with your system or that there may be too much of it. Life can throw a ton of crap at us which puts this hobby into a more sensible perspective. Down sizing is not getting out it's simply adapting to changes. Moving from a house to an apartment is huge. I'm thinking how many dumpsters it would take me to do that.

I am concerned to hear that you've come to the 901 error message but a I applaud your honesty. In the event that this is simply media boredom I would Rx "West Coast Seattle Boy" Hendrix. A stunning combination of historical, live, and studio takes. Some of the older stuff is horribly recorded but the live performances are jaw dropping. The affordable eight LP quality and mastering is wonderful.

If this is a result of a hardware jones Logitech's Squeezebox Touch is guaranteed to entertain.

1)the last 3-5% in audio quality is NOT the most expensive part of this hobby, it's the most elusive and often only exists in the imagination of the hobbyist. 2)when you are so obsessed with ugrades and a/b comparisons that you can't listen to music anymore when you WANT to listen to music and not do a/b comparisons, you my friend have a case of audiophile nervosa.

Here is the cure.

For one month, listen to nothing but Ipods, car stereos, low-buck DVD players, mid-fi receivers and every other form of mass-consumer electronic crap. Do NOT listen to your rig in this time period. Then, change the lighting in your audio room to be more relaxing - use warm color temperature low wattage lamps to create wall wash effects. Vacuum your audio room, tidy it up. Then get some really expensive cheese and your favorite wine. Drink one glass of wine before turning your system on. Then drink more wine and eat some very expensive cheese. You will be overwhelmed with how good music sounds on your system. You will realize that nothing really needs to be tweaked or changed. You will realize that the need for constant change and tweakery was just an idea that became an obsession.

If you still can't stop obsessing about whether or not another wrap of ERS paper on your cable elevators will make a difference and whether or not you can hear said difference, put your system away again.

Audiophile behaviour is learned behaviour. It can be fixed - the deprogramming is difficult but not impossible.

I go through this once per week. I work 12-hr compressed shifts, 3 nights one week, 4 nights the next. On the days/nights I work, I do not bother listening to my system. I don't have time by the time I get home, and by that time I am tired to the point of not being in the right mindset to enjoy a listening session.

However, my first night off, I wake up before dawn and cannot get back to sleep. Wife and kids are fast asleep, system is in a secluded room down the hall. I am able to go in with a clear mind, dim the lights, and listen at moderate levels w/out disturbing anyone. I try to sneak in another session or two before my work week begins again. And each time it is a reminder of how good my simple, moderate system sounds (expensive had I paid retail, a bargain thanks to Audiogon).

So I could not agree more, getting away from one's system for days at a time can be a refreshing eye/ear opener.

I agree with that experiment. But I would add, don't toss the collection! It is a library, dude. Would you throw out a library of books you had collected? Music is a wonderful thing to collect, as rich as any text. Be proud of that collection, unless, well, you just so happen to have gone through this decade long massive German hair metal fascination; ya, you might want to store that somewhere out of sight.

But I would not ditch it. I have two rooms filled with books, and recordings. I feel it is the mark of simply a literate house. Musical and otherwise.

Use what you have now to enjoy the music! Instead of tossing out the stuff. Play it. Even if it is not on your main activity list, just let the stuff sit. You may want to enjoy it more once you really get over the rat race of audiophillia. Stop and listen. Good luck.

All of what you post makes sense except it begs one question: Why hand in your "audiophile badge" just because you are tired of the craziness?

I have never done most of the things you complain about, and yet I consider myself an audiophile.

Sounds like you want to refocus and downsize, which is great. Lots of folks here have done that without feeling they have handed in their badge. Fellow inmate reelsmith (Dean) pared his system waaaaay back, and seems to be enjoying the hobby all the more for doing it.

I don't think craziness is inherent in this hobby even if it is prevalent. :-) ___ "If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."

I agree with AudioDwebe - I turned in my membership card some time ago.

One problem is the word itself has acquired so much baggage beyond its dictionary definition that I find it rather useless these days. Often it is simply a marker for a type of obsessive-compulsive behavior when it comes to equipment.

I love music and my current system, though not particularly fancy by standards of this forum, brings me great pleasure. I do not find much attractive in the process of making endless changes that require burn-in or long term listening to pick up minute subtleties or that make one recording out of thousands sound a bit better.

More power to those who love that process - they can have the word "audiophile" all to themselves.

It took me along time to make sense of the hows and why of how I need to go about buying audio equipment. Seems to me many buyers never really find that handle and it probably is best for them to resize and/or downsize to easier to assemble systems.

Granted the market for audio equipment is quite rich and saturated for a wide variety of tastes and applications.

These days my wife and I are as particular when it comes to buying furniture, appliances, pets, etc. as I have learned to be when it comes to buying audio equipment.

The generic market place can be pretty good and satisfying for the majority of shoppers. Those who want, or need to, usually can find niche or speciality markets for whatever it is they want.

However going into any niche doesn't always mean things are "better", though it might. More often it just means things are more specialized for particular tastes.

But I like em, and can give the extra ones to my nephews, who are 8 and 5 years old!

Hilarious!___"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."

Try not to feel compelled to play the game according to anyone's standards or goals but your own. If you feel you've achieved what you've been aiming for then you might just want to relax with it and enjoy what you have.

If you need to get rid of some LPs or CDs (or, you know, some audio gear) I can free up some space (hint,hint)...

Not a bad thing to free up space while taking a moment to catch your breath and re-evaluate where you've been, are and want to be. I've owned over 10,000 LPs so far, but never more than 4,000 at any given time. CDs have never peaked over 1,000. Yet...

Things change, tastes change and change can be a good thing.

Savor the process and I recommend listening to some good tunes while change happens.

It helps. " Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination." -Michael McClure

I guess we're moving in opposite directions right now, at least insofar as home audio is concerned -- you're about to bow out, and I'm hanging out on audio groups after a hiatus, catching up with a decade's progress. But I think the point is that interests can wax and wane, it's no biggie, you just take it as it comes. And while you're in the waning phase, you can still enjoy great sound and great music without worrying about the pursuit of perfect sound. Just get some good speakers, a good amp, some reasonable cables, and an audio server with a PC and a decent DAC or sound card. No more CD's, no more LP's to store and clean -- and sound that's just as good or, in the case of high res, even better. The only real compromise here is the loss of audio as a hobby, because I think we all know that the itch that leads you to assault that final 5% has little to do with the pleasure of listening than it has to do with instincts that were honed when our ancestral apes were making flint knives. No reason to keep at it if it isn't interesting you right now, or if you feel that it's become an obsession or obligation rather than something you enjoy.

I still very much love music, but the near obsession to make improvements in my system is no longer there for me.

And as for my music collection, I'm planning on reducing the numbers to those that I really, really like versus keeping stuff around because I like them. I pretty much like most of my collection, as a majority was purchased used and I've had the time to skim through them prior to purchase.

Unfortunately, with a lot of the music collection, that "skimming" at the store has been the last time they've been listened to. The victim of overpurchasing the numbers of recordings combined with a busy work schedule has somewhat prohibited me from getting around to spin a majority of them.

Yeah, I know how you feel, having cast off all but a few irreplaceable LP's a few years back. OTOH, I've found in recent years that I'm taking new pleasure in hearing a multiplicity of performances. Before that, I'd tend to focus on my favorite version and ignore the others. I still listen to my all-time favorites, but increasingly, I find that variety helps keep the music new.

I do love the Dunlavy's and consider them one of the best speakers I've ever heard. I'm just not entirely sure the room's dimensions allow for proper placement once I start to include acoustic treatment, etcetera, and by doing that, it would take away from the space my son has to play.

Again, I've not decided to get rid of the Dunlavy's, but it's just weird to me that I'm actually considering it. Never thought I would.

If I had to put my SC-IVA's in a room much smaller than my 18x28.5' space, I'd probably move on to another speaker. This room makes it possible to do long or short wall setups fairly well. They do need breathing room to image best.

Hours? If I can't tell the difference between two things in minutes I don't much care.

It should be fun, not work.

But yeah, when the moderate priced stuff sounds SO GOOD you wonder about going the extra mile.

I spent two years once with a pair of bookshelf speakers, a NAD amp and a technics (seriously) linear-tracking turntable (the one with the cartridge in the top). So, yeah, it's nice to take a break sometime.

It's not that the 901's sound better than the Dunlavy's, they don't. But as far as the use I get from the system in that room, the 901's would work well enough for more of a background-type of listening, and give me more living space, as well.

For any "real" listening, I go into the bedroom where I've got some acoustical treatment placed throughout to make it as good as I know how.

It took two-three years, but I've turned into one of those crazy headphone people. Yeah, I know it's not 'real'. But I'm getting detail and resolution out of my Stax headphones that would cost five to ten grand in a 'real' speaker.

I spend one to three hours every night in my comfy chair listening to music on my Stax. It's something I really enjoy and look forward to.

WTF is "there". There is no "there". Loudness, bass extension and room size might require outrageously expensive audio systems. Some system deemed 95% "there" in some average room in some average house might be no where in a different room in that same house. And more than likely would be no where in a big room in a big house.

Not only that. Some system deemed 95% there in some room in some house based on some recording(s) could be no where near "there" if one choses different recordings on which to quantify the systems performance.

This downsizing stuff is just BS! I've got 2 stereos and couldn't downsize without being disappointed with the results. Sorry, nope, I'm not going to try to make people feel better who have to do with less. I was very, very careful when I upgraded - there is no free downgrade. If people were less careful when they upgraded, or upgraded based on flawed reasoning, well sure they can downgrade and maybe even be more happy. Not me - I recently tried building a second system from scratch. Didn't take long for the spending level on the second system to get close to the first - and where the second system is less evolved it is obvious when upon listening.